GOP voters outduel Dems in dismal primary turnout

Delaware County Republican Party administrative assistant Suzanne Hoffman, left, and volunteer Theresa Agostinelli tabulate the early incoming results of the primary election Tuesday at the Drexelbrook in Drexel Hill.
Times staff / ROBERT J. GURECKI

Those figures are based on the county sheriff race between Ridley Park Republican Mary McFall Hopper and Springfield Democrat Rocco Polidoro. McFall Hopper was the highest vote getter for Republicans with 23,181 votes and Polidoro received 13,240 votes.

That means about 13.6 percent of the county's 170,160 registered Republicans made it to the polls Tuesday. And 7.8 percent of the county's 169,423 registered Democrats made it to the polls, according to the unofficial ballot results.

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Delaware County Republican Party Chairman Andy Reilly said Democrats were more motivated by voter turnout during the past two presidential election cycles with a Democratic president in the White House. He said the primary race after a presidential race is typically known as a hangover election and Republican turnout has trended upward during these primary election cycles.

Delaware County Democratic Party Chairman David Landau attributed the low voter turnout to a low amount of contested primaries on the Democratic ticket. Despite that, he has maintained this will be the year that Democrats will make a breakthrough at the county level.

Once a longtime Republican stronghold, the latest voter registration figures show the gap between the two major parties is just 737.

Landau said he is looking forward to the fall campaign, but recognized the need for Democrats to get their voters to the polls Nov. 5.

"There's no question our work is cut out for us for the fall," he said.

Reilly said he respectfully disagreed with Landau's prediction that this will be the year Democrats make a breakthrough at the county level.

"In my view, even though the registration is virtually even, I believe we run candidates that appeal not only to Republicans, but to Democrats and Independents," Reilly said.

Four candidates for the Delaware County Court of Common Pleas will all move forward to the fall election cycle. The Democratic candidates are Nancy Walker, a labor attorney from Nether Providence, and Steven Chanenson, a Radnor resident and a Villanova University School of Law professor. The Republican candidates are William "Chip" Mackrides, an attorney from Edgmont, and Magisterial District Judge Richard Cappelli, a Concord resident.

In the Republican primary, Mackrides received 18,171 votes, Cappelli received 15,664 votes, Chanenson received 7,354 votes and Walker received 5,276 votes, according to the early ballot results.

In the Democratic primary, Walker received 11,519 votes, Chanenson received 7,185 votes, Mackrides received 4,040 votes and Cappelli received 3,162 votes, according to early ballot results. All results are unofficial until they are certified by the county's Election Bureau.

In addition to the judicial and sheriff races, the countywide slate for the fall includes races for Delaware County Council, controller and register of wills.

On the countywide slate, the Republican candidates for Delaware County Council include two incumbents: council Vice Chairman Mario Civera of Upper Darby and Councilman Dave White of Ridley Township. They are running against Upper Providence Democrat Bill Clinton and Chester Democrat Patricia "Pat" Worrell.